Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens! [Help keep on Page 1]

buehlMarch 22, 2010

Please note that at the time I restarted this thread, only a half-dozen threads were available on the Kitchens Forum. Please do not despair; chances are most of the threads will eventually reappear. Meanwhile, don't be afraid to post your questions.

Tip: Once you post your question, go back to the Kitchens Forum list. Refresh the page. Click on your thread and bookmark it. This way you will be able to get to it if it disappears.

The Finished Kitchens Blog has pictures and information about many GW members' finished kitchens. Not only can you see them alphabetically, but there is also a category list if you're looking for specific things like a kitchen w/a Beverage Center or a kitchen w/a mix of dark and light cabinets.

The Appliances Forum is very useful when you have questions specific to appliances.

Other topics such as planning for storage can be found by doing a search on the forum.

Tips:

Before posting a question, search the forum. There's a very good chance someone has already asked the question.

When using the "search" function, be sure to use the search box on the bottom of the page, not the top!

In the Subject, the site changes the double quote used as the inches indicator (") to a single quote ('). We don't know why. To compensate, use two single quotes and it will appear as a double quote in the Subject. Luckily, the double quote works in the message box.

When composing a new thread, you have a couple of options:

Have replies emailed to you: check the box offerring this option. However, you must have "Allow other users to send you email via forms at our site." box checked in your profile for this to work (see the "Your Profile" link at the very top of the page)

Insert a link: When you "preview" your message, you will be provided with two boxes for a link...one is for the link itself and the second is for the name or description of the link.

When using the "Clip this post" option (far upper right corner of each post, small print), remember that only the current post is clipped, not the entire thread. Also, you are allowed a maximum of 50 clippings. Once you reach this max, you will no longer be able to clip or email posts.

How are the home page and the Forum organized? (from the FAQs)

The Kitchens Forum home page lists 30 thread titles, starting with those that don't yet have a response. Then threads are listed in order of most recent response. That first page displays the last 2 hours or so of activity. (If there is no response to a thread in an hour or two, the unanswered thread starts to drop

Below the thread list are page numbers 1-67 for the total 67 pages of threads available -- capturing maybe 2 months or so of threads, less when the Forum is busy.
Below that (and at the top of the thread list) is a space for you to switch to the Conversations or Gallery "sides" - these are set up similarly but not nearly as active.
Next down is a Search box -- very important!...

Once you've finalized your basic design, it's time to analyze your storage needs in each zone. The results of that analysis will drive the size/configuration of your cabinets and drawers. (The following is a general write-up I've come up with...)

First, make a list of everything you plan to store in your new kitchen, regardless of where it's stored now...kitchen, basement, dining room, etc.

Next, take the list and group the items according to function. Will they be used during prep? cooking? baking? cleanup? Some items, like pot holders, may belong in two different zones (in this case, cooking & baking). You can either find storage between the two zones or have duplicates and store one in each zone.

Now, determine where each of your zones will be (prep, cleanup, cooking, baking, storage, etc.)
The next step depends on the stage you are in the design/order process...

If you've already ordered your cabinets, then you will have to work with what you have. So...

Identify the storage potential in each zone and list them on a piece of paper with a section for each cabinet (base & upper) and one line per drawer or shelf in that cabinet. This includes your pantry for your "storage" zone.

Take the two lists and, while imagining yourself working in each zone, put the dishes, tools, etc. that you will be using in cabinets in that zone. Fill in the lines in the cabinet list with these items.

If you are still in the design phase, you will have the opportunity to plan your storage to meet your needs in each zone.

Take your list and imagine yourself working in each zone.

Go through the motions to determine the best locations for each item that will be used and stored in that zone (don't forget that you will probably have both upper and lower cabinets).

Now that you know where to put the items, determine what the best way is to store those items (drawer, shelf, etc.) and what size (e.g., pots & pans work best in 30" or 36" drawers)

This not only helps you to "see" how things will fit, but it also will help when you move back into the kitchen...you won't have to think about it, you'll be able to just put things away. It will also be a handy "map" for everyone to help find things the first few weeks w/o having to open every drawer or door!

Oh, and don't forget the Junk Drawer! Most people end up with one, so you may as well plan for it so you at least have control over where it's located!

Common Zones, Appliances In That Zone, and Suggestions For What To Store There:

While doing a search I came across marble.com website. They have some amazing links including galleries with real life kitchens with a huge variety of stones installed. I didn't even get to the bathroom side yet. The pictures are beautiful. They also seem to have 3D and 2D interactive capacities which I haven't yet played with either. Will have to wait for a rainy Sunday when I want something to do.

Anyway... I've haven't seen one this good yet and thought others might be able to utilize it. ENJOY!

Whatever sealer you use, read and follow the instructions carefully and be sure to buff off all excess sealer. For maximum effectiveness, each application of sealer needs to fully cure before the next application - normally about 24 hours.

Here is a how-to for sealing:

You will need the following:

Home improvement strength alcohol

Lint-free rags or unprinted paper towels (the "Rags in a Box" disposable paper rags found at home improvement stores are really great for this)
Paint pad (those hard, fluffy coated pads they use to apply paint)
Sealer

What to do:

Clean your counter tops by wiping them down to remove any food residue.

Wipe the counters with a rag soaked in alcohol. (Be sure to follow the safety instructions on the container)
Once the counters are clean and dry, apply the sealer with the paint pad. You can pour a little puddle and spread it with the paint pad. Work in smaller, manageable areas.
Leave the sealer for the recommended time and buff off the residue with the lint-free rags. Be sure to TOTALLY remove all excess sealer or you might end up with streakiness and smudginess. Change rags often to prevent smearing excess sealer.
Repeat steps 3 & 4 until all your surfaces are sealed.
Leave sealer to cure for 24 hours and test for water absorption. Drip water on the stone to see if the stone still darkens. If it does, another application of sealer is in order.
Repeat the entire procedure until water beads up and no longer darkens the stone.

Do not think that more is better. Work with smaller quantities of sealer and properly clean up after each application. Your results will be better than trying a single, heavy handed application.

For daily cleaning, just use a couple microfiber towels (one dry and one slightly damp) Clean counters with the damp one - you could add some soap to it if you wished - and buff dry with the dry rag. No fuss, and pretty easy

My cabinets are frameless, good condition and good layout. But the finish had gone orange and ugly, with the oak graining too busy for me. Cabinets are 18 years old, very poorly finished oak veneered slab doors. Plain with no crevices. They didn't even take the doors off to finish them!!! No stain or finish on the hinge side edges. Cheezey, huh?

I looked into changing out cabinets, but that was way too much money, since my layout was OK. Painting didn't seem right because the doors were plain slabs. I considered new doors but that still meant a lot of money. For a few years I tried to figure a way to add molding toward a mission look, but the rounded door edges made that impossible. Then trolling in a kitchen emporium showroom this last year I noticed dark wood slab doors, kind like mine, but darker. That was the answer.

First I tried Minwax Polyshades. Dicey product. Hard to brush on neatly, then gummy, then seemed to leave a sticky tacky residue. I did a thread on the Woodworking Furum "Evil Polyshades to the Rescue" which elicited a lot of conflicting "expert" opinions and arguments that one must strip to bare wood.

(Thread may still be around as that Forum moves slow.) I properly stripped acres of woodwork in an old Victorian when I was young and stupid. Never again! Jennifer-in-clyde (in the same boat) and I stumbled around on that woodworking thread to get to this method.

Shopping List:
electric screwdriver or screw drill bits
mineral spirits to clean the years of gunk off the cabinet
miracle cloths (optional)
fine sandpaper
box-o-disposable gloves from walgreens or the like
old socks or rags for wiping on coats
disposable small plastic bowls or plates, and plastic spoons or forks for stirring/dipping (optional)
General Finishes water base Expresso stain (pretty thick, but not quite a gel) This one may not even be a needed step if the Java gets it dark enough.
General Finishes Java gel stain (poly based)
General Finishes clear top coat (poly based)
old sheets or plastic sheeting or newspaper

Rockler woodworking stores are a good place to find the General Finish products. Or some larger hardware stores. Quart of each was more than enough for my 60 doors and drawer fronts and goes for $12-14 at Rockler. There are smaller sizes if your project is small.

Setup and Planning:

You will need a place to work and leave wet doors to dry overnight - I set up 2 spaces, garagefor sanding/cleaning and basement for staining/sealing. Use newpaper or plastic to protect the surface and floor. Figure out how you will prop doors to dry.

Plan blocks of 20-30-minutes for sanding/cleaning bundles of, say, 6 doors at a time. Then just 10 minute sessions to wipe on coats. The coats will need to dry for about 24 hours, so figure that...

While I'd love to add all sorts of "useful" threads, there comes a point where I have to say no...I cannot link every thread here! This thread already is overloaded with things and adding more will only make it worse.

I suggest that if you find a thread particularly helpful that you bookmark it. Then, if someone posts a thread asking for help that one of your bookmarked threads fits, link it in that thread. Besides, for many things it's nice to get a new thread b/c new ideas & people are around that can be captured in a new thread. Old threads are great for "how tos" and things that don't really change over time, but for appliances, etc., it's a good idea to get new, more up-to-date information periodically.